Incubator



Jan. 7, 1930- A. c. GILLETTE ,9

4 INCUBATOR Filed May 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 n I IIIIHIIIIII I II'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII\I ama; M 50 /5 501M [7 6 gwoa'nto'o Jan. 7, 1930. A. c. GILLETTE 1,742,954

INCUBATOR Filed May '21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 7, 1930 UNITED STATES AVILA CHARLES GILLETTE, OF ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY INCUBATOR Application filed May 21,

This invention relates toincubators.

An object of this invention is .to provide an improved incubator structure and improved method of heating and controlling the heat of an incubator, improved incubator trays and improved means for keeping the trays in motion; to provide improved means for applying the motive power to the trays, improved means for moistening the interior of the incubator; to provide an improved means for Figure 1 is a front elevation;

Figure 2 is a front elevation with the front wall removed; partly in section;

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation in section on the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrow;-

fllFigure 4 is an end elevation from the drive s1 e;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of one of the rotatable egg cabinets, with the supporting shaft and coupling member in section on the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a detail illustrating a modification of the drive mechanism.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the following specification and in the several views in the drawings, in which there is provided a casing 2' consisting of a top wall 3, end walls 4, a floor 5, a back 6 and a detachable front wall which includes doors 7. In practice the front'wall will be made detachable. By removing this wall the whole interior becomes accessible. The top wall 3 is provided with an opening 8 having a flat cover 9 which opening 8 serves as a foul air exhaust which is controlled by the cover 9. A second opening 10 is provided from which leads a conduit 11 in the form of a pipe, which pipe leads to a motor 12, which motor 12 serves an intake motor for air through the 50 conduit 11. Upon the wall 4 I carry suit- .1927. Serial No. 193,252.

able temperature recording instruments 13.

In explanation of the use of openings 8 and 10 the latter identifies the place where fresh air is introduced when the fan of the motor 12- is in operation. The velocit of the air carries it downwardly where it is circulated throughout the interior of the casing by the slow speed fan 29. The opening 8 permits the escape of excessively heated and foul air, the cover 9 of the opening being controlled by 80 the thermostat 23.

Mounted upon the base or floor 5 are brackets 14 supporting the pans 15, which pans 15 carry water for moisture, and which pans are heated by electric heating elements 16. Secondary heating elements 17 are provided. Tray cabinets 18 are revolubl suspended above the pans 15, which ca inets carry trays 19. The cabinets 18 are suitably mounted upon a shaft20, which shaft 20 eX- tends between and is mounted by the walls 4. Bushings 21 are connected with the cabinets l8 and are anchored to the shaft 20 by means of set screw 22. Between the cabinets and beneath the shaft 4 is mounted the thermostat control 23. Mounted upon the shaft 20 is a gear 24, which gear 24 is driven by a gear 25 through the medium of intermediate gears 26, one of the gears 26 being upon the shaft 27 of a motor 28. The motor 28 is of low speed and the gear relations are such as to give an ap proximate speed to the shaft of 4 revolutions per hour. There is also provided adjacent to one of the walls 4 and mounted upon the floor 5 a low speed electric fan 29. Resilient catches 30 are provided for holdin the cabinets stationa at predetermined tlmes. The floor 5 is per orate at 31 to provide floor air intakes.

Mounted upon the outer face of the front wall 7 is a-nelectric temperature regulator control switch S (Fig. 1) of any knowntype. If preferred the train of gears 24, 25 and 26 may be replaced by a worm wheel 32 and worm gear 33 as shown in Figure 6. Any other suitable means may be employed to operatei the holders 18 at the requisite slow spee y The operation is readily understood. A feature of no little importance resides in the particular-relative disposition of the heating eg s.

It has been stated that the circulation of the air is primarily accomplished by the fan 29, but the function of the fan is augmented to a marked degree by the cabinets themselves.

Figure 3 illustrates ing substantially square in cross section.

The corners of the cabinet in passing through the humid atmosphere immediately above the pan 15 will materially assist in carryin forwardly a volume of the air and thus assist in the circulation thereof. Moreover, the course of the cabinet in advancing into the atmosphere immediately above the pan 15 will tend to scoop up volumes of moistened air thus tending to drive such air through the open spaces of the cabinet and into contact with the eggs carried thereby.

This function together with that of the fan 29 makes absolutely certain the thorough application of heated and vaporized air to all of the eggs. It is to be noted "that the revoluble cabinets tend to establish a circulation of vaporized air crosswise through the cabinets while the fan 29 creates air currents substantially along the length of the cabinet. 7

Having now described my invention, that which I claim to be new, and desire to procure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An incubator comprising a casing, an egg cabinet within the casing, a driven shaft journaled within the casing passing through the cabinet, bushings on the cabinet having bearings upon the shaft, means whereby the cabinet may be either secured or left loose upon the shaft, and a resilient catch protruding from the bottom of the casing being engageable with a portion of the cabinet to hold the latter stationary when left loose upon the shaft.

2. An incubator comprising a casing having a fresh air opening at the top, a water pan situated in the casing near the bottom, an egg cabinet revolubly mounted within the casing between the water pan and said opening, heating means beneath the pan assisting in evaporating the water and creating a humid atmosphere, and a fan operable within the casing creating a draft across the pan and crosswise of the opening and in the direction of the length of the cabinet to disseminate the humid air.

3. In an incubator, a casing having a bottom air opening, and a pair of adjacent openings at the top, a movable cover for one of the top openings, a conduit connected with the second opening, a fan with which the conduit has communication and which is operative to impel air into the casing for AVILA CHARLES GILLETTE.

the cabinet 18 as be- 

